Starting college can bring mixed feelings to recent high school grads, from excitement to trepidation. Three OU freshmen shared their sentiments with us.

Jenna Belloli, 18 – Undecided

After graduating from Stevenson High School in June of 2011, Jenna Belloli decided to come to OU for both the convenience and prestige of the school.

“I feel that because I didn’t want to go away, (OU) is my best choice,” Belloli said.  “It’s close enough to drive and still a really good school.”

At the moment, Belloli is undecided about her major.

She had been thinking about teaching, but has since reconsidered after evaluating the current job market.

Before her first day of school, Belloli took some steps to familiarize herself with OU.  She participated in orientation and travelled to campus to find her classes.

Belloli also understood that sometimes parking at OU can be difficult, especially around the first week of school.

“I’m going to be at least an hour and a half early,” Belloli said prior to her first day.

Belloli was also worried about getting lost and transitioning into college.  Luckily for her, however, she didn’t have too much too be afraid of.

“My first day of school actually went a lot better than I expected,” Belloli said.  “It was pretty easy to get to each class and went pretty smoothly.  I already feel adjusted to the place.”

On the weekends, Belloli waitresses at the restaurant Kavaan’s.  She is finding it easy to manage both school and work.

“My work is actually very understanding,” Belloli said. “They pay attention to my schedule.”

So far Belloli is enjoying attending OU, despite one small detail.

“It’s just that walking between each building in the cold and rain kind of stinks,” she said.

Madeline Bielecki, 18 – Undecided

Madeline Bielecki also attended Stevenson High School in Sterling Heights. She was a member of the marching band, wind ensemble, woodwind chamber group, flute choir and National Honor Society. This year, however, she is adjusting to living on campus and attending OU.

Bielecki decided to come to OU because of the size. She liked the idea of attending a smaller school and receiving more individualized help in a smaller class setting.

Prior to starting school, Bielecki was nervous about the sorts of things you might expect any freshmen to be apprehensive about.

“I was nervous about being on time and finding my classes,” Bielecki said, “especially because it’s so much bigger than a high school environment.”

Despite any worries, all of Bielecki’s fears were quelled on her first day of school.

“My first day was really good,” she said. “I found all my classes and liked my professors. It was definitely a good way to start the year.”

As of right now Bielecki is deciding between choosing biology and chemistry as her major.

As a high school student, Bielecki was involved in many music ensembles. Consequently, she said she hopes to join a music-based student organization during her time at OU.

In her free time, Bilecki enjoys listening to music, hanging out with her friends, and working out.

Bilecki chose to live on campus in order to get the “full college experience.” Moving out has been her favorite part of beginning college.

“I like living at OU, making more decisions, having freedom and being more independent,” she said. “I feel comfortable being here.”

Nick Buhay, 18 – Biology (Pre-med)

Nick Buhay attended DeLasalle Collegiate Prep school in Warren, yet even as a high school student, he was looking forward to college.

“All through phases of my life, going through grade school, middle school, high school and now college, I’ve always looked forward to the future,” Buhay said.  “I enjoy the present time but I always look forward to moving onto something bigger and better.”

As a high school student, Buhay was a student council representative for his class, a Science Olympiad team member and a lacrosse player.  He hopes to join the Pre-med Society on campus.

Buhay’s biggest fears for his first day of school were that he would be late for class or get lost.

“Actually, I doubted myself (on my first day), but I did fine.”  Buhay said.  “I met a few new people, I met some of my old friends that I hadn’t seen in a while and actually in some of my classes we hit the ground running on notes and stuff and I was headstrong going into it.  I managed very well.”

Despite being taught good study habits throughout elementary school and high school, Buhay is a bit worried about the workload that college classes bring.  He also said he understands there are resources available to him if this does happen.

“I hope not to get overwhelmed but if that does happen I do know that I have options — seeking help, or if push comes to shove, dropping a class or two,” he said.

Buhay is happy to begin school at OU because now he is looking toward his dream of becoming a doctor.

“I’ve always had dreams, and I will do anything in my power to accomplish those dreams,” Buhay said.  “Now I am actually beginning my journey.”

Expert Advice

Dr. David Schwartz, a psychologist at the OU Counseling Center in Graham Health Center, witnesses the special concerns that freshmen deal with on a yearly basis.

“There’s a whole slew of issues,” Schwartz said. “The whole transition to college is a very happy and exciting time, but as with many things in life, even the happy moments can be very stressful.”

Schwartz cited a few angles of the transition that freshmen must make.

One angle included the academic transition, which entails harder, faster-paced classes and more homework.

“The other side of the transition that I think sometimes gets overlooked is the non-academic side — the social transition,” Schwartz said. “A big part of coming to college in (students’) first year is kind of a searching for their identity … Although that can be very exciting for some students, it can also be very stressful.”

Many students may feel depressed, anxious or homesick in their first year, and Schwartz believes that it is important that students know they are not alone and there are resources for students experiencing these problems.

“I think more than anything else, the No. 1 thing that really can help out in terms of a student dealing with transition and the stress and avoiding things like depression and anxiety,” Schwartz said, “is the feeling of connectedness and belonging to the campus.”

Many incoming freshmen don’t realize that here are more than 200 students organizations offered at OU.

Shwartz also stressed the importance of utilizing the resources OU makes available to students.

“If I could boil this down to one piece of advice, I guess I would say ‘don’t be afraid to seek help and talk to others,’ ” he said. “There are people all around (the students) who are willing to listen and willing to help.”

All OU students receive six free sessions at the Counseling Center. After the sixth, the cost is $10 per session.

For more information on the center and the services it offers, visit www.oakland.edu/GCC or call (248) 370-3465